Journeys to Manhood with Author Lamar Giles
Giles shared his passion for storytelling and reading, and the need for Black representation in books, especially for young people.
"Reading helps foster empathy. It allows you to better understand someone who isn't you and other perspectives." Thanks so much to author Lamar Giles, who visited campus on Friday, April 5, 2024 as part of The Center for the Study of Boys Journeys to Manhood speaker series.
The author of acclaimed novels such as "The Getaway," "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer," and "Fake ID," Giles discussed his upbringing in Hopewell, Virginia, his passion for storytelling and reading, and the need for Black representation in books, especially for young people. "I think it's important to see people like you doing things you want to do. In my teens, I discovered some black writers like Stephen Barnes and Dwayne McDuffie, who changed everything for me," said Giles. "Seeing them write the sort of things I wanted to create let me know that if they could do it, I could do it too."
About Lamar
Lamar Giles writes for upper elementary readers, teens, and adults across multiple genres, with work appearing on numerous “Best Of” lists each and every year. He is the author of the acclaimed novels "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" (part of The Legendary Alston Boys series), "Fake ID," "Endangered," "Overturned," "Spin," "Not So Pure and Simple," and "The Getaway", as well as numerous pieces of short fiction. He is a founding member of the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books and resides in Virginia with his family.
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The author of acclaimed novels such as "The Getaway," "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer," and "Fake ID," Giles discussed his upbringing in Hopewell, Virginia, his passion for storytelling and reading, and the need for Black representation in books, especially for young people. "I think it's important to see people like you doing things you want to do. In my teens, I discovered some black writers like Stephen Barnes and Dwayne McDuffie, who changed everything for me," said Giles. "Seeing them write the sort of things I wanted to create let me know that if they could do it, I could do it too."
About Lamar
Lamar Giles writes for upper elementary readers, teens, and adults across multiple genres, with work appearing on numerous “Best Of” lists each and every year. He is the author of the acclaimed novels "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" (part of The Legendary Alston Boys series), "Fake ID," "Endangered," "Overturned," "Spin," "Not So Pure and Simple," and "The Getaway", as well as numerous pieces of short fiction. He is a founding member of the nonprofit organization We Need Diverse Books and resides in Virginia with his family.
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